One of a Thousand Reasons I like You
by Master of Chronicles
Summary: Inspired from the many Cloti shorts, here's a another moment in the lives of our favorite Final Fantasy VII couple. Barret Wallace cameos.


**Greetings, fan readers. I short one shot that came to me for no particular reason except for the fact I was reading other fics which left me inspired. **

**Characters are not mine.**

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Liquor Kiss

Cloud's morning alarm went off, blaring like a tortured cat.

_Alright, thank you._

Cloud's hand searched blindly for the alarm clock somewhere on the floor next to his bed. It took maybe seven seconds to find it, pressing the 'off' switch firmly. His eyes cracked open, seeing that it was still pitch black outside his window. Were the stars were still in bed?

"What time...?" He reached down again and picked up his clock. It read 3:40am. _Why on this good planet am I getting up at this unholy...Oh. Right. The delivery to Gold Saucer._

Pulling the sheets off his body, Cloud's bare feet touched the cold hardwood floor, the air in the room not much warmer. It was towards the end of fall, and 7th Heaven wasn't the best insulated building in Edge. Actually, there wasn't many houses that were. Tiptoeing to the bathroom down the hall, Cloud turned on the lights, which proceeded to blind him, turned on the shower and gave it time to warm up by first brushing his teeth.

It took him almost a full minute before he realized he was using Marlene's toothbrush, which was a bright pink as opposed to his purple. "Oh crap."

He rinsed it off as best as he could, even thought about washing it with soap when steam started to fill the room.

_Ahh...Nice and hot._ He sighed as he stripped down and stepped in.

Hot for Cloud meant scalding for the average person. The genetic enhancements Cloud had received in the army meant he could handle certain things in everyday life that most could not. Aside from his strength and agility, Cloud could withstand more pain, hardly ever got sunburned, go without eating for a week or more, and not have to go to the gym as regularly to exercise.

It was only halfway through his shower, his skin a flushed pink from the heat, that he realized that their bar of soap was thin as a sheet of paper, but that they also had run out of any kind of shampoo.

_I'll pick some up when I get back the day after tomorrow. And I'll get one solely for Tifa. I think I remember what kind she likes. _Stepping out, Cloud started to drip all over the bathroom floor.

_And towels. We need new towels._ Cloud sighed as he held what might as well have been a hand rag to dry himself.

The air felt colder as he sneaked back into his room to change. Cloud donned his regular gear. He had other clothes, for sure. Jeans, t-shirts, hooded sweaters and sweat pants, swim trunks and suits for special occasions. But his former battle attire was now his official business uniform since he noticed how seriously people took him when he wasn't dressed like a civilian. The same went for Tifa. Her black leather outfit was what people expected when they walked into her bar.

Breakfast was next on Cloud's list of things to do before leaving. As it turned out, breakfast was going to be the hardest thing. His frustration grew the longer he searched the cupboards and refrigerator. Cereal, no milk. Toast, no jam. Frying pan, no bacon or eggs. What was happening? Were they going destitute?

_It's grocery day._ The young man reminded himself. _We always run out of things to eat the night before grocery day._

Tifa was the one managing the funds, and it was a good thing too. Some time ago she had gotten ill and Cloud went out in her place to get food, managing to spend twice the money for half the stuff. She never sent him out shopping again after that.

Just as he was about to close the fridge, he saw a small sticky note stuck on a small, brown lunch bag.

It read, "For Cloud :)".

It was in Denzel's handwriting. Biting his lower lip, Cloud gratefully took his travel food, feeling his heart swell.

_This must be what fathers feel like when their family loves them. _He thought.

It at was times like that when Cloud truly felt like a man.

"It don't take a man to make a family. It takes a man to raise a family." Barret had said once, months earlier when he came to visit his daughter. Both men were outside late at night, drinking a beer, watching the early spring sky. "And Cloud...you've been doin' just that."

Leaving the house as quietly as he could, Cloud saw that the sky was starless because it was an overcast sky. Doubtless it would rain later than day.

He entered their rundown garage which housed his custom-made bike Fenrir, turned on the single bulb in the place and began going through his regular maintenance checks. Gas was good, oil fine, air pressure in tires great, though the girl did need some washing and maybe a polish. She still had the black blood from whatever it was he had run over the last time he had a delivery outside the city limits.

Sitting on his motorcycle, Cloud opened the side hatches to see if all his swords were there. Nope. The largest, the center piece onto which everything else attached, was missing. _Where...?_

Then Cloud remembered he had bent it that time he rammed it into a dragon's skull and twisted the hilt clockwise to crack the brains wide open. It had been a gruesome fight, which no one had witnessed, the beast being nearly the size of Shinra battle tank. It had been flying a hundred feet in the air when he killed it, so after they crashed into the rocky dirt, picking himself up and dusting off, he noticed that his blade was warped. So he had to send it in to the sword smith for repairs.

_I have to remember to swing by there and pick it up. Don't want that blacksmith selling it by mistake._

With that final thought, he threw open the garage door, took Fenrir outside, locked the door behind him, put the key in the ignition and-

Tifa's bedroom light came on. Cloud stopped as soon as he noticed, looking up at her window. Had he woken her up? It was only 4:20 and he was positive this wasn't her usual wake up time. The curtains moved and the shadowy shape of Tifa's head looked outside. Cloud guessed that with the sky overcast and the streetlight not working, again, she wouldn't be able to see him. So he switched his high beams on and off right quick. She waved at him.

_Get going._ He told himself. _Don't want to be late._

Then Tifa blew him a kiss.

_Ah, screw it. I'll risk running late._

Getting off Fenrir and hurrying inside, Cloud began going up the stairs went he saw that Tifa was already on her way down, wrapped in a robe, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Hey good-looking." She smiled. "What's wrong?"

"Just wanted to say a proper hello." Cloud said back, smiling timidly. "Whoa. Your hair is a mess."

"Said the black pot." Tifa shot back, reaching out for a hug when they were close enough. She sighed happily as his firm embraced warmed her.

"Why are you up so early?" He asked as they moved over to the kitchen.

Tifa began making coffee. "I wanted to make sure you weren't still in bed. Just in case the alarm didn't go off."

"Oh, that thing did it's job, alright." He reassured her. "But thank you. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

Cloud leaned closer, touching his nose to hers as he went in for a kiss. He was surprised when she turned away, blushing hard and pushing him away.

"What? What did I do?" He asked, bewildered.

"I just woke up!" She explained. "My breath stinks!"

"So?"

"So!? I don't want you to be thinking of me all day with a bad taste in your mouth. At least wait until I drink some coffee, that should do it." Tifa backed away as Cloud tried to come in at her again.

"It's still brewing, Teef. I have to leave now if I'm going to make the boat in Junon." He pleaded.

"Then we'll save it until you get back." Tifa tried putting the table between herself and Cloud, pointing at him with a wagging finger. "Stay away from me and my morning breath!"

Cloud raised his arms in exasperation. He could chase her forever and even if he did they would wake up the kids, and they had school in the morning...or what ever it was called those days. Then an idea came to Cloud's mind. "Hold on a minute."

Tifa frowned as Cloud spun on his heel and walked out of the kitchen. Part of her was sad he had given up so easily, while the other was relieved. Then she heard the cabinets of her bar being opened and closed systematically. Curiosity led her away from her safety behind the table and she leaned out of the doorway to Cloud going through her bottles around the corner.

"What are you-?"

"Shh." Cloud grabbed a bottle of vodka and a sweet lemon liquor out and picked out a shot glass. He then mixed the two together but not before rimming the glass with salt. When he was done he handed it to Tifa. "Drink."

Taking the glass, Tifa inhaled it's aroma. It was a bit early in the day. Hell, it wasn't even day yet, but she understood where he was going with this. Tifa put the shot glass to her lips, tilted her head back and took in the entire drink. The strength of the vodka burned as she swished it around on her tongue, the sweet and sour lemon flavor causing her to shudder. Closing her eyes, Tifa swallowed, feeling it go down easily enough, but was a bit much on an empty stomach.

She opened her eyes and looked at Cloud. "Not bad. A tweak here and there and this-"

She was interrupted when Cloud's mouth pressed unto her lips that still burned of alcohol. She tasted of the drinks he had mixed for her, the vodka already causing her cheeks to go red. Or was something else making her face hot? Tifa resisted a little at first, and then soon enough kissed back with the passion and trust they had spent years building together. When they parted, giving smaller kisses in the large one's wake, Tifa broke away long enough to quickly mixed the same drink again, knocked it back and they repeated the process.

"Mmmm." Tifa moaned softly a few moments later, her arms around his neck. "Liquor kiss. I won't forget this one."

"You have a loyal costumer in me." Cloud replied, grinning and equally red faced.

Tifa tapped his lower lip, which was swollen from their love. "You're going to be late."

"Already am, I think." He answered.

"Then hit the road, good-looking. The sooner you get back the better. I'll have a surprise waiting for you."

Whether it was the alcohol fumes coming from her or the blood rushing to his head, Cloud got very dizzy all of a sudden. They kissed one last time, a silent goodbye, and then he was gone, out the doors and on the street. Tifa watched from the window as Cloud mounted his bike, started the engine, gave her a wave and throttled out of sight.

The sun still wasn't up, but there wasn't any way she was going to be able to go back to bed after what she had just experienced.

-BEEP-

The coffee was ready.

Taking a full cup and going upstairs to sit on her bed. As she looked out to the parting clouds above, revealing the early morning stars, Tifa replayed the last few moments over and over in her head. She had known her childhood friend for so long, and yet he would still catch her off guard with his actions over and over again.

_Cloud...I love you. Thank you for loving me. It's one of a thousand reasons I like you. _

She smiled into her hot cup of coffee knowing that somewhere on the long and dusty road from Edge to Junon, Cloud was thinking the exact same thing about her.

The End

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**This story was a little odd for me. I love FFVII for it's sci-fi/fantasy concepts with aliens, magic, living planets end of the world scenarios. But there are times when I need to remind myself that a simple 'the hell is the milk?' and 'I gotta shave and get to work, bye honey!' shorts can make fictional people more real, easier to relate with. I also wanted Tifa and Cloud to have a already established relationship, not something that was just starting.**

**An alternate title for this was going to be Liquor Kiss, but I felt that would spoil the scene because it would be expected. What do you think?**

**I hope you enjoyed it and please tell me what you thought of it, criticisms and all, in a review! Thank you! **


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